The Internet, which is a human centered connectivity network where humans generate and consume information, is now evolving to the Internet of Things (IoT) where distributed entities, such as things, exchange and process information without human intervention. The Internet of Everything (IoE), which is a combination of the IoT technology and the Big Data processing technology through connection with a cloud server, has emerged. As technology elements, such as “sensing technology”, “wired/wireless communication and network infrastructure”, “service interface technology”, and “Security technology” have been demanded for IoT implementation, a sensor network, a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, Machine Type Communication (MTC), and so forth have been recently researched.
Such an IoT environment may provide intelligent Internet technology services that create a new value to human life by collecting and analyzing data generated among connected things. IoT may be applied to a variety of fields including smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected cars, smart grid, health care, smart appliances and advanced medical services through convergence and combination between existing Information Technology (IT) and various industrial applications.
Home network technology is a technique for connecting and controlling devices, such as computers, peripheral devices, and home appliances, via a single network in a home. This technology enables not only internal but external access to a network established via an Internet line or a telephone line in a house, thereby controlling all devices including a computer, a television, a video player, and a cooler/heater.
To this end, a protocol for controlling all devices in an integrated manner using a single device in a home is necessary. Thus, wired home network technologies including Ethernet, Home Phoneline Network Alliance (PNA), and IEEE 1394 and wireless home network technologies including Bluetooth, Ultra Wide Band (UWB), ZigBee, Wireless 1394, Home Radio Frequency (RF), ultrasonic communication, and Z-Wave are being used.
For a home network system, a function of controlling devices has emerged as a major functionality, and accordingly a tool that allows a user to easily control various devices in a home network is needed.
However, home network systems that have been developed so far adopt a method in which a user selects a control device, such as a remote control, of an intended device and performs key input manipulations multiple times through the selected control device to control the device, which causes great inconvenience.
Therefore, there is needed a method for a user to conveniently control an intended device in a home network system.